Shams Alam battles adversity to make Bihar history in Nagoya
Three minors among four drown in Sone river in Bhojpur
Thermocol waste recycling unit earns Rs17 lakh monthly
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Three held for cheating Bihar YouTuber of Rs 2.6L over Free Fire ID
Bihar seek mental strength to bounce back against Baroda
CM visits Durga Puja pandals, prays for prosperity of state
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2,000 cops deployed in city for peaceful Puja
NHAI provides Rs50cr for wildlife plan along Varanasi-Kolkata expressway
Patna airport installs reflective tapes, ribbons to deter birds
Digital Desk | New Delhi/Hyderabad, Oct 17 (IANS) Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy has connected India's long-unresolved border enclaves with Bangladesh to the ongoing protests in Delhi against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, adding that the past territorial anomalies enabled illegal migration that still affects voter lists today. In a video explanation circulating widely, Reddy described the pre-2015 situation as one of the most bizarre international borders in existence. India had 111 enclaves inside Bangladesh while Bangladesh had 51 enclaves inside India. In some places the complexity ran deeper: second-order enclaves existed where a Bangladeshi pocket lay inside an Indian enclave that itself sat inside Bangladesh, and vice versa. These territories, left over from the Partition era, created service-less zones in which residents lacked reliable access to administration, identity documents and clear citizenship pathways for decades. The anomalies were finally settled through the 2015 Land Boundary Agreement, negotiated and passed by the Parliament under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under the swap, residents were given the choice of citizenship and the last remaining pockets of foreign territory on either side of the border were eliminated. Reddy presented this resolution as the closure of a long-standing irregularity that had facilitated unchecked movement across the frontier. Such stupid borders were designed for political interests... and they continued from the day of Partition till recently, till 2015 until the Narendra Modi government came, the Telangana BJP MP said. He then linked that history directly to the current protests in the national capital. Demonstrators have opposed the Election Commission's SIR exercise, which critics claim has removed more than 130 million names from the electoral rolls, Reddy added. Supporters of the BJP MP's video said that the voter revision is a necessary housekeeping measure to identify and delete illegal or ineligible entries. Protesters, by contrast, said that large numbers of genuine eligible voters have been wrongly struck off and have demanded the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Reddy framed the voter revision exercise as a logical continuation of earlier efforts to regularise citizenship and prevent infiltration from distorting democratic processes. He contended that porous borders and political patronage in certain states had previously allowed illegal migration to continue as a form of vote-bank politics, naming the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the Congress in Assam and elsewhere, with effects felt as far as Hyderabad, Delhi, Bihar and Odisha. In related remarks, the Telangana BJP MP broadened the charge. He alleged that recent protests and digital campaigns form part of a coordinated international effort aimed at regime change against Prime Minister Modi. According to Reddy, a diverse coalition of opposition parties and fringe groupsincluding the Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK and extreme organisations, together with external actorsshare a single objective: to unseat the government. They (Opposition) do not have a common cause. The common cause is not NEET, not the UPI payment system, not the Election Commission... The common cause is to defeat PM Modi, regime change, he said, insisting that leadership change in a democracy must occur only through elections, not through orchestrated street agitation. Reddy also claimed large-scale manipulation of social-media metrics. Referring to an independent political figure associated with the Aam Aadmi Party, the Telangana BJP MP described a sudden surge of millions of Instagram followers as 100 per cent fake, 100 per cent paid, contrasting the online numbers with the modest physical turnout at the early stages of the protests. He also warned of multifaceted external pressures targeting India's economic stabilitycurrency volatility, disruptions in oil trade, and potential impacts on the information-technology and pharmaceutical sectors. In his view, strong leadership under PM Modi has so far enabled India to navigate these challenges while preserving strategic and economic autonomy. The discussion has added a historical dimension to an already polarised debate over electoral integrity, citizenship verification and the legacy of Partition-era borders. While the 2015 agreement resolved the enclave problem on paper, questions about migration, documentation and the accuracy of voter lists continue to surface. As protests persist in Delhi, interpretations of the SIR remain sharply divided; one side sees it as a safeguard against illegal entries, the other as an overreach that disenfranchises citizens. Reddy's intervention has injected the story of the old enclaves into that contemporary argument, presenting the current clean-up of electoral rolls as the unfinished business of regularising who belongs on India's voter lists.
Rahul, CJP team working for foreign powers: Nitin
Purnia gets EV charging station, work on in 4 districts
Bihar balancing development with environment: CM
Tejashwi Yadav Urges Bihar Government to Ensure Job Security for Contract Teachers
Tejashwi Yadav calls for immediate action to protect the jobs of contract teachers in Bihar following Supreme Court rulings. Tejashwi Yadav Urges Bihar Government to Ensure Job Security for Contract Teachers
160 defective pizza screens destroyed at prominent food outlets
Girl lies on bed of nails during Puja, draws crowds in Vaishali
From political buzz to Puja pandal, cockroaches steal the show in Katihar
Woman dies after delivery at Supaul hospital, kin allege medical negligence
Bihar: Pappu Yadav questions the Centre over Nepal policy
Digital Desk | Patna, Oct 17 (IANS) Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav on Saturday questioned the Narendra Modi government over its response to Gen Z-led political developments in Nepal and Bangladesh, while alleging that the Centre had failed to provide adequate assistance to flood-hit Bihar. Addressing a press conference in Purnea, Yadav criticised the Centre over the alleged lack of financial assistance and public outreach for flood victims in Bihar. He claimed that the Prime Minister had extended financial assistance to Nepal during floods, but had not announced any comparable aid for Bihar amid the ongoing devastating floods. Yadav also alleged that the Prime Minister had neither issued a statement nor posted on social media to console families affected by the floods in Bihar. Referring to political developments in Nepal and Bangladesh, Yadav questioned the Centres approach towards governments and political leaders in the two neighbouring countries. When the Gen Z protest happened in Nepal, followed by a change of regime, the Narendra Modi government recognised the government of Nepal. When the Gen Z protest happened in Bangladesh, why did it provide shelter to Sheikh Hasina? he asked. Yadav also questioned whether the Indian government had any role in the political upheaval in Nepal, while clarifying that the question was his own and had nothing to do with the Congress party. If the Narendra Modi government has recognised the Balen Shah government in Nepal, then why are Delhi Police and other paramilitary forces allegedly using force against our Gen Z protesters in New Delhi? he asked. He also criticised the alleged treatment of women protesters during demonstrations in the national capital. Yadav claimed that the national capital had effectively been turned into a cantonment, alleging that more than one lakh police and security personnel had been deployed to prevent peaceful protests. He further alleged that train and metro services had been suspended, internet access had been restricted in selected areas, and activists had been detained or placed under house arrest for participating in demonstrations and displaying the national flag. Questioning the Centres handling of the protests, Yadav asked why students and young demonstrators were being treated in such a manner. The MPs remarks came amid controversy over police action against protesters in New Delhi. His allegations regarding flood assistance, security deployment and restrictions on transport and internet services were not independently verified in the information available.
Man arrested for selling girlfriend in Kolkatas red-light area
Bihar: Four, including three minors, drown in Son River in Bhojpur during Navratri
Digital Desk | Patna, Oct 17 (IANS) Four people, including three minors, drowned while bathing in the Son River near Teerthkaul village in Bihars Bhojpur district on Saturday. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Sandesh police station, plunging the village into mourning during the Navratri festivities. The victims were identified as Akash Kumar (15), Prem Kumar (10), Siddhant Kumar (16) and Sudhir Kumar (25). According to an official, the three minors had gone to the river to bathe when they entered deep water and began to drown. Sudhir Kumar reportedly jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue them, but was also unable to return to safety. The incident triggered panic among residents, who alerted the police and administration. A search operation was subsequently launched, with assistance from rescue personnel and villagers. Sandesh Station House Officer (SHO) Sanjeev Kumar confirmed that four people had died by drowning. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) recovered all four bodies from the river, according to officials. The bodies are being sent to Ara for post-mortem examinations, and further legal procedures are underway. Block Development Officer Binesh Kumar and SHO Sanjeev Kumar were present at the site following the incident. News of the tragedy drew a crowd of residents and relatives to the riverbank. The deaths have left the four families devastated and cast a pall of gloom over Teerthkaul and neighbouring areas. The incident highlights the risks of bathing in rivers, where water depth and currents can be difficult to assess. Authorities advise people to avoid entering deep or unfamiliar waters. The surface could be uneven due to the digging of sand. The incident occurred just days after 13 people lost their lives when a boat capsized in the Ganga River in Bihars Vaishali district. The victims were reportedly crossing the river to attend a feast when the boat capsized. Seven people managed to swim to safety.
Young Woman Rescued from Trafficking Scheme in Bihar
A young woman was rescued by Bihar police from a trafficking scheme, highlighting the dangers of trust in relationships. Young Woman Rescued from Trafficking Scheme in Bihar
Deputy CM Harsh Sanghi becomes towering figure in Gujarat Politics
Amid the Bihar elections, the BJP made a major reshuffle in Gujarat politics, promoting young leader Harsh Sanghvi to the post of Deputy Chief Minister. This marked the return of the Deputy CM position to Gujarat after the tenures of Vijay Rupani ...
Bihar Political Shockwave! JDU
A massive political storm has erupted in Bihar after controversial Janata Dal (United) MLA Anant Kumar Singh claimed on camera that he had masterminded the murders of nine people to support Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during his early political struggles. The startling declaration has triggered sharp reactions across party lines, forcing the ruling JDU to [] The post Bihar Political Shockwave! JDUs Anant Singh Claims He Got 9 Killed for Nitish, Then Blames Lalu appeared first on Pragativadi I Latest Odisha News in English I Breaking News .
Tragic Drowning Incident Claims Lives of Four Young Men in Bihar
Four young men drowned in the Son River in Bhojpur, Bihar, during a bathing incident, leaving the village in mourning. Tragic Drowning Incident Claims Lives of Four Young Men in Bihar
Bihar MLC Election : 'Nitish Kumar 9 ' Anant Singh -!
Mystery shrouds womans death in Supaul, kin allege murder
Nitish inaugurates 20 Saal Bemisaal exhibition in Gaya
JDU's Anant Singh Claims He Got '9 Killed For Nitish Kumar', Then A 'Lalu' U-Turn
Janata Dal United (JDU) MLA Anant Kumar Singh has triggered a major political controversy in Bihar after claiming to have masterminded the murders of nine people for former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with the party distancing itself from his remarks. Singh, who has been upset with the party for fielding his political rival Neeraj Kumar in the upcoming legislative council polls, made the claim while lashing out at his adversary.
ECI orders Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three UTs
The Election Commission (ECI) has ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 States and three Union Territories with the 1st of January next year as the qualifying date. These states and UTs are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, []
Bihar MLC Election 2026: Kosi Graduate Constituency Voting on Oct 23
Girl succumbs to injuries in Srinagar, 55 days after Ladakh motorcycle accident
Srinagar, Oct 17 : A 19-year-old girl, who was injured in a motorcycle accident in Ladakh, succumbed to her injuries at Srinagar hospital on Saturday, 55 days after the accident, officials said. An official said that the girl was referred to Srinagar hospital from District Hospital Leh on August 23 in critical condition. He said the girl was travelling as a pillion rider on a motorcycle when the rider lost control, resulting in the accident. The deceased was identified as Reeta Kumari (19), daughter of Daljit and a native of Bihar. Meanwhile, further investigation has been taken up and cognisance of the incident has been taken.(KNO)
Stalin challenges Rahul's SIR credit claim with Bihar, Soren reminder
MK Stalin endorsed protests against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and criticized Congress for its inconsistent positions. During a DMK Parliamentary Party meeting, four resolutions were adopted, including the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The DMK emphasized its early opposition to the SIR process and questioned Congress's credibility on the issue. Resolutions included support for student protests and criticism of local party leaders silence.
Witness to revolution: Anand Patwardhan's documentaries on the Emergency
While 'Waves of Revolution' focused on Jayaprakash Narayan's Bihar movement, 'Prisoners of Conscience' documented voices of political prisoners
Anant Singh's 'mastermind 9 murders for Nitish' remark sparks row, JDU distances itself; he retracts
The Janata Dal (United) has found itself in a fix after party's disgruntled Bihar MLA Anant Kumar Singh claimed he masterminded nine murders for former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is credited for restoring law and order in the state, prompting the party to issue a clarification.
Gyanesh Kumar must be removede: DMK passes resolution demanding CEC's ouster, backs student protests
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Parliamentary Party on Saturday adopted a resolution demanding the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar from office and an inquiry into his conduct, accusing him of spearheading the systematic disenfranchisement of legitimate voters through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The resolution was among four adopted at a meeting of DMK Members of Parliament held at the Murasoli Maran Meeting Hall at the party headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, under the leadership of DMK President and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. According to the resolution, when reports emerged that large numbers of voters were being systematically deleted from electoral rolls in Bihar, the first state where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was introduced, DMK President M.K. Stalin raised his voice in protest in July 2025, even before the Assembly elections. Stalin also participated in the Voter Adhikar Yatra organised in Bihar...
NDA Confident of Winning All Eight Seats in Bihars MLC Elections, Says Sanjay Jha
Sanjay Jha expresses confidence in NDAs victory in Bihars MLC elections, highlighting strong local support for their candidates. NDA Confident of Winning All Eight Seats in Bihars MLC Elections, Says Sanjay Jha
Bihar STET 2026 Admit Card Date Out: Exam From October 25, Check Other Details
The Bihar STET admit card 2026 date has been announced, BSEB will release the hall ticket on October 18, 2026 on the official website, stetregistration.cbrt.co.in.
LK Advani: RSS days to Rath Yatra, photos that defined veteran BJP leader
Lal Krishna Advani, former Deputy Prime Minister and a veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, is no more. A founding member of the BJP in 1980, Mr. Advani is considered the architect of the party's rise as a major national force in the 90s. The veteran leader rode the Ayodhya movement and elevated the BJP from the fringes to the mainstream. Mr Advani, along with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was the face of the party for several decades before the advent of the Modi-Shah era. From leading the rath yatra to his swearing-in as Deputy Prime Minister of India, here's look at the key moments from Advani's public life that also left an indelible footprint in the country's political terrain.
BJP president Nitin Nabin extends Navratri greetings in Bihar
The News Mill
Bihar STET 2026 Admit Card Releasing Tomorrow: Direct Link, Exam Dates, and Login Steps
Bihar STET 2026 admit card releases tomorrow, October 18. Access your hall ticket via the portal to check your exam center and shift timings. Download early to avoid server traffic and ensure a smooth exam day.
DMs-SPs must respond within two hours to any sensitive social media-related issues: Bihar CM
In nearly a month, more than half a dozen molestation cases and assaults on women, including minors, on social media have brought a big embarrassment to the state government
A major political controversy has erupted in Bihar following reported remarks by Janata Dal (United) MLA Anant Singh claiming that he had got nine people murdered, triggering a sharp offensive from the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), even as the MLA and his party asserted that the statement stands refuted. Breaking his silence over the controversy, Anant Singh briefly dismissed the claims, stating, ...The statement has already been refuted. Addressing the brewing row, JD(U) Working President Sanjay Kumar Jha maintained that the party had taken note of the matter while downplaying its electoral impact. He has made a statement followed by a clarification. The state unit of the party is aware of the entire situation and has taken note of all these developments. Our candidates in Patna will win by a large margin; the party is well aware of the matter, Jha told reporters. Defending Nitish Kumar, senior JD(U) leader Rajeev Ranjan Prasad stated that the former Bihar Chief Ministe...
Bihar STET Exam Date 2026 Out - Check Exam Schedule at biharboardonline.org
BSEB has announced the Bihar STET Exam Date 2026. The computer-based test will run from 25 October to 20 November 2026. Check the exam schedule, admit card date (18 October 2026), Paper I and Paper II levels, exam day instructions and FAQs.
BJP President Nitin Naveen to Visit Bihar for Navratri Celebrations
Nitin Naveen will visit Patna on October 17-18 to celebrate Navratri, engaging with party workers and visiting Durga pandals. BJP President Nitin Naveen to Visit Bihar for Navratri Celebrations
Anant Singh Clarifies Controversial Statement About Sacrifice of Nine
Bihar MLA Anant Singh addresses backlash over his statement regarding nine deaths linked to his support for Nitish Kumar. Anant Singh Clarifies Controversial Statement About Sacrifice of Nine
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Fire department inspects over 50 Puja pandals, warns of action over safety lapses
3D pandal, special rituals await devotees at Mahavir Mandir
Anant sparks row with claim on nine killings, retracts statement
NU, Paraguay varsity sign pact for academic exchange
Samrat: Expedite land acquisition for industries
HC quashes extortion case against ex-BCA president
Mokama MLA targets Nishant over campaign
Nalanda cops murder: 2 policemen, 3 home guard jawans among 7 held
Police stop CPI(M) march seeking CECs resignation
Focus on affordable medical edu, quality healthcare: CM
Bihar gets nod for 32 road projects worth Rs1.64L crore
Patna Teachers seat sees a high-stakes triangular contest
Non-serious: JD(U) as MLA claims he plotted 9 murders for Nitish
Patna: Disgruntled JD(U) MLA Anant Kumar Singh on Friday, October 16, claimed to have masterminded nine murders for Nitish Kumar, the former Bihar chief minister widely credited with restoring the rule of law. Since the controversial claim, the JD(U) sought to distance itself from the Mokama MLA, with the partys national spokesperson, Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Rs 10 lakh aid reaches minor bonded labour survivor
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Bihar livelihood model adopted across 12 states
From I got 9 murdered to Lalu had them killed: Anant Singhs U-turn puts Nitish in dock
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The Elephant Ownership Exception: A History of Protection and Possession
In 1963, private forest owners in Malabar challenged provisions of the Kerala Forest Act, 1961 (Act IV of 1962). The question before the Court was whether the State could deprive forest owners of their existing right to capture and own elephants found on their land. In Kuppathode Madhavan Nair v State of Kerala (1963), the Kerala High Court sided with the owners. Applying common-law principles inherited from the colonial period, it held that ownership of land conferred a qualified right over wild animals found there ( ratione soli ), including the right to capture them and claim them as private property. Within a decade, the Indian Parliament would enact a national conservation law and the Constitution would soon expressly recognise duties towards forests, wildlife ( Article 48A ) and living creatures ( Article 51A(g) ). Even though the elephants legal status would change profoundly as both a Schedule I animal in law and a National Heritage Animal, a symbol of the country itself, the owners place in her life would prove much harder to dislodge. Elephants, forests and capture The Malabar litigation belonged to a much longer history in which protecting elephants and putting them to work were closely connected. In Elephants and Kings: An Environmental History (2015), Thomas R. Trautmann, a historian and anthropologist, explains how the military value of elephants gave Indian rulers an interest in preserving wild populations and the forests that sustained them, even as they continued to capture individual animals. Academic Natasha Nongbris 2003 study of nineteenth-century Northeast India shows how colonial authorities regulated capture of elephants through licences, leased grounds and royalties. The forest was not simply a place where elephants lived. It was also the source of successive generations taken into captivity. Preserving wild elephant populations and capturing individual animals became part of the same policy which gave birth to the Elephant Preservation Act, 1879, a national law modelled on the regional Madras Wild Elephant Preservation Act, 1873. It was arguably the first national law on Elephants in British India enacted with the ostensive realisation that a live elephant was more valuable than dead. The policy as preservation, not conservation, was instrumentalised to preserve the source the elephant in the forest, to allow for its simultaneous extraction from it to feed the rising demand for captive elephants. Among the important establishments in this system were Dacca, now Dhaka, and Mysore , both associated with khedda operations in which wild elephants were driven into stockades and subdued with the help of trained elephants. The Dacca establishment drew upon the Garo Hills and other northeastern forests, while the Mysore operations captured elephants from the forests of southern India. These regional systems of capture existed alongside wider networks of trade. The Sonpur fair in Bihar , already an important elephant market in the nineteenth century, connected elephants captured in the Northeast with buyers from elsewhere in India. Against this background of an extensive elephant trade, the forest-owning timber merchants in Kuppathode Madhavan Nair asserted their right to capture elephants and put them to work within a legal order that still accepted their removal into human service. The shift in constitutional law The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 introduced a national framework for conservation, prohibiting the hunting of the most protected species. Yet the elephants initial classification revealed how much of the older world remained. She appeared in Schedule II, Part I as special game, whose hunting which included capture could be licensed, while Section 2(6) included domestic elephants, curiously for a wildlife law, in its definition of cattle. The changes of the next five years gave the law a different direction. The Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976 , passed during the Emergency, is remembered for weakening fundamental rights and curbing the powers of the courts. Yet it left a curious and enduring legacy in the protection of the environment and animals. Even during the darkest period of Indira Gandhis leadership, her concern for the natural world found expression in the Constitution. The amendment inserted Article 48A, directing the State to protect the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife, and Article 51A(g), making it the duty of every citizen to protect the natural environment and to have compassion for living creatures. These duties gave constitutional weight to the responsibilities we owe to the non-human world. In October 1977, months after these provisions took effect, the elephant was elevated to Schedule I , bringing her capture within the highest level of statutory protection. In 1986, amid growing concern over the killing of elephants for their tusks, Parliament prohibited domestic trade in Indian elephant ivory. In 1991, following stronger international restrictions under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna, it extended the prohibition to imported ivory, which traders had been using as a cover for selling ivory from poached Indian elephants . That year, Parliament also removed the Acts definition of cattle, which had included domestic elephants. It introduced livestock in its place, expressly excluding protected wild animals. Yet these changes did not bring private ownership of elephants to an end. Under Sections 4042, people in lawful possession of elephants could declare them to the authorities and obtain certificates recognising their ownership after an inquiry. Even as the law strengthened protection for elephants and restricted the trade in their ivory, it continued to recognise that a living elephant could remain someones property. The 2002 amendment: live elephant ownership exception and the prohibition on sale A 2002 amendment to the Act (which became effective from 2003) tightened restrictions on private ownership of protected captive animals. However, it expressly exempted live elephants. Although the newly introduced Section 43 prohibited transfers for any commercial consideration, a person could still acquire an elephant and pass her to another owner with the necessary permissions. This left an opening for sales disguised as gifts. In the years that followed, animal protection organisations documented how this distinction enabled trade to continue. At the Sonpur Mela in Bihar, where elephants had long been bought and sold, transactions were now presented as gifts. Researchers even recorded owners carrying blank gift deeds to transfer possession. These practices formed part of the challenge brought to the Supreme Court in 2014 by the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC) and others in W.P.(C) No. 743 of 2014. Still pending twelve years later, the WRRC case has become a central proceeding through which the Court supervises the treatment and regulation of captive elephants. Although the Court imposed no blanket prohibition, the continuing proceedings, notices to forest departments in every State with captive elephants, and numerous interim orders largely halted the trade. These included a nationwide census and checks on ownership certificates , welfare inspections at tourist resorts in Goa , and an order blocking Keralas attempt to regularise 289 elephants held without ownership certificates and restraining their transfer. The Courts scrutiny of ownership papers and transfers had made the trade harder to carry on. A 2021 case in Guwahati High Court confirmed the concerns raised by WRRC before the Supreme Court in 2014. In April 2021, forest officials at Doomdooma in Assams Tinsukia district intercepted two elephants travelling from Arunachal Pradesh to Odisha, ostensibly for religious purposes. Their investigation went beyond the ownership certificates and transport permissions. In a recorded statement, the claimed owner described bank payments of 9 lakh and 17 lakh from an intermediary who had also arranged the documents. He could not identify the receiving religious institution. In State of Assam v. Sri Chow Sonjit Pomong (2021), the Gauhati High Court found prima facie evidence of a commercial sale and set aside the order releasing the elephants to the claimed owner while the investigation continued. The elephants were reported to be in the Forest Departments custody at Kaziranga National Park. The 2022 amendment: religious and other purposes In December 2021, the Central Government introduced the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2021 , which went considerably further than the amendment eventually enacted. It proposed exempting transfers of live elephants by ownership certificate holders from Section 43 altogether, subject to government permission and prescribed conditions. This would have removed the prohibition on commercial transfers for those elephants, allowing them to be openly bought and sold again. The pressure for change came particularly from Kerala, where temple authorities and private elephant owners associations were seeking easier acquisition and interstate transfer of elephants. In my view, the elephant provision in the 2022 amendment must be understood as an attempt to loosen the practical restraints that the Supreme Courts scrutiny in the WRRC case had helped impose. Following objections from conservation and animal protection organisations, the Parliamentary Standing Committee chaired by Jairam Ramesh recommended deleting this proposal. In April 2022, it suggested a narrower provision allowing transfers of existing captive elephants for religious institutions, with additional safeguards. The version Parliament ultimately enacted extended this to transfers for a religious or any other purpose , subject to conditions prescribed by the Central Government. The prohibition on commercial consideration remained. Non-commercial transfers were already possible under the elephant exception introduced in 2002. An amendment was therefore unnecessary merely to allow an elephant to pass from one private owner to another as a gift. In this respect, the new provision largely reaffirmed the existing position, while creating a specific framework for central rules governing transfers . Its practical significance lay in giving renewed statutory backing to transfers at a time when litigation and enforcement had made them increasingly difficult. The words any other purpose were particularly troubling because they offered no meaningful limit of their own. For those of us who had worked to curb the use of elephants for begging, entertainment, circuses and timber logging, the concern was that this broad wording could encourage attempts to revive practices we had spent years challenging. The safeguards governing these transfers consequently became crucial. On March 14, 2024, fifteen months after the amendment, the government notified the Captive Elephant (Transfer or Transport) Rules (2024 Rules). These attempted to place meaningful safeguards around a difficult accommodation. By limiting transfers to elephants whose ownership certificates predated the Rules and to their offspring, and by requiring registration of genetic profiles, they offered a means of confining transfers to an identifiable population already lawfully in captivity. Read together, these provisions seek to break the logic of the khedda , in which the forest continually supplied elephants for human use. Putting this into practice is a demanding exercise. The State must build a reliable genetic record of the captive population, then verify each claimed captive birth through a DNA match with the mother and records establishing that she was lawfully held. Each new addition must be traceable to this legally recognised population, closing off the forest as a continuing source of captive elephants. Yet the government was still struggling to identify the population it sought to regulate. In August 2026, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change placed the proceedings of the Captive Elephant Healthcare and Welfare Committee (formed under Project Elephant) for the month of February before the Supreme Court in the WRRC case . These recorded that the profiling exercise remained incomplete and that, among 2,075 samples analysed, 40.5 per cent of elephants had unknown origins and 25.4 per cent were documented as wild-caught. Nearly two-thirds therefore fell into these two categories. The continuing exception These concerns have become urgent with the September 2026 movement of five young elephants from Assam to Tamil Nadu temples: Durga, Rupsing, Shiva, Hiralal and Bijuli. More than fifty organisations have sought an independent investigation into their origins, ownership documents and the possibility of sales disguised as gifts. The pace of the transfers shows how readily decisions that will shape decades of an elephants life can be made while fundamental questions remain publicly unanswered. In my account of Durgas transfer , the sequence from the request for a health certificate to her departure from Manas took three days. Her ownership certificate was issued in October 2025, after the 2024 Rules came into effect, so her transfer depended on a claimed captive birth to a mother covered by them, yet her mothers identity and lawful captive status remained publicly unverified. A five-year-old elephant is not a remnant of pre-conservation law; she is another generation entering a system that can determine almost her entire future. These journeys follow years of large transfers from the Northeast to Vantara in Jamnagar, where reporting in 2024 documented convoys coming in from Arunachal Pradesh and the private wildlife facility hosting more than 200 elephants. Vantara describes its work as rescue and rehabilitation, and in September 2025 the Supreme Court accepted an investigation reporting no legal violations. Its transfers and those to temples have different stated purposes, but their scale raises a very important question: how should a constitutional commitment to wildlife, and to compassion for living creatures, govern the continuing movement and concentration of elephants in human institutions? Elephants leaving the Northeast in convoys is not very dissimilar from the old geography of the khedda , when the forests of the Garo Hills supplied elephants to distant establishments and markets. Trautmann and Nongbri show that the forest sustained a system in which wild populations were protected in part because they supplied animals for capture. The question is whether the modern ownership regime has truly broken that relationship. In his Study on Illegal Sale and Transfer of Live Elephants from Assam , Chaturbhuja Behera, then a regional official of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, described illegal sales and transfers, accounts of wild calves being captured, and weaknesses in records used to establish captive birth. Findings such as this make it difficult to treat an ownership certificate, by itself, as an answer to where a young elephant came from. The 2024 Rules thus return us to the contradiction the law has carried since 1972. Once again, the government is trying to make its core commitment to protection coexist with private ownership, a relationship that subordinates an elephants life to the purposes of her owner. The safeguards are necessary, but they cannot resolve that contradiction while the exception is effectively allowing institutions to replenish their captive populations for generations to come. The demand for young elephants must be supplied from somewhere. The historical answer is in front of us: it is the forest. The forest is the breeding ground from which elephants have long been taken to replenish captivity. The exception leaves open the route by which demand for elephants in captivity can be met through illegal capture in the wild, disguised as captive-born. More than sixty years after the Malabar owners defended their right to capture elephants for timber in Kerala High Court, the law is yet to confront the continuity between that older system and the present one.
Bihar Sub-Inspector Arrested for Accepting Bribe of
A sub-inspector in Bihars Buxar district was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of 50,000 to influence a case. Bihar Sub-Inspector Arrested for Accepting Bribe of 50,000
On October 17, most schools across India are expected to function on normal schedules. However, local holidays or weather-related disruptions may lead to unforeseen closures. Parents should verify school announcements through official channels for any changes. While states like Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh plan to remain open, Bihar has a scheduled holiday for Durga Puja. Therefore, families should remain informed about local decisions impacting school attendance.
Twist in Bihar cop's death as home guard's bullet killed him
An excise constable in Bihar's Nalanda district, initially believed to have been shot dead by liquor smugglers, was actually killed by a bullet fired from a home guard jawan's rifle during a chase. An investigation revealed discrepancies and alleged attempts to conceal evidence, leading to the arrest of a sub-inspector and other personnel.
Kainchi Dham theme adds spiritual touch to Mithapur Durga Puja pandal
Overbridge work adds to traffic worries
Bhagalpur records over 70 legal adoptions
Why Brahma Baba Is Invoked in Bihar's Jhijhiya Dance, Guardian Deity Explained
Controversy Erupts as JDU Legislator Backs Rival Candidate in Bihar Elections
Political tensions rise in Bihar as JDUs Anant Singh backs a rival candidate, prompting responses from party leaders. Controversy Erupts as JDU Legislator Backs Rival Candidate in Bihar Elections
Administrative Changes Follow Tragic Boat Accident in Bihars Vaishali District
Following a tragic boat accident in Vaishali, Bihar, CO Deepak Kumar has been removed from his position amid administrative changes. Administrative Changes Follow Tragic Boat Accident in Bihars Vaishali District
Banke Bihari Temple new rules: Why throwing pedas and flowers is banned now
The Banke Bihari Temple management committee in Vrindavan has banned devotees from throwing pedas, flower garlands and tulsi malas at the deity. The decision aims to improve hygiene and prevent sacred offerings from being trampled. The committee has also discussed central AC installation, an inquiry into ceremonial gold and silver items, better sanitation and stricter food safety checks.
Bihar Board Exam Form 2027 Last Date Extended to 31 October for Matric and Inter
Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has reportedly extended the examination form submission deadline for the Matric (Class 10) and Intermediate (Class 12) Annual Examinations 2027. Eligible students who missed the earlier 15 October deadline can have their forms submitted through their respective school or college heads from 16 to 31 October 2026 with a late fee. Students should contact their institutions to complete the process.
ABVMU Result 2026 Out - Direct Link to Check Scorecard Online @ abvmuup.edu.in
ABVMU Result 2026 through the student login link of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University, Lucknow. See how to download the scorecard & reported result dates for UP CNET, UPGET and CAHET.
Bihar Vigilance raids Rural Works Department engineer in disproportionate assets case
Vigilance tightens noose around engineer accused of amassing disproportionate assets, conducted simultaneous raids at engineers four locations at Chhapra, Patna, Katihar & Darjeeling.
Bihar Engineer Under Investigation for Alleged Disproportionate Assets
Bihars Executive Engineer faces scrutiny for holding assets 88% above his declared income, with searches revealing significant cash and property. Bihar Engineer Under Investigation for Alleged Disproportionate Assets
Tejashwi Yadav Demands Compensation and Jobs for Victims of Boat Tragedy in Bihar
Tejashwi Yadav calls for compensation and jobs for families affected by a tragic boat accident in Bihar, highlighting government negligence. Tejashwi Yadav Demands Compensation and Jobs for Victims of Boat Tragedy in Bihar
Bihar: Constable Killed, Police Attacked In Liquor Raids
A police constable was shot dead by suspected liquor smugglers in Nalanda district, Bihar, during a chase on Wednesday night. In a separate incident, five police personnel were injured in Bagaha when locals attacked them during an arrest related to a liquor supply case, freeing one suspect.
Traffic plan announced for Durga Puja in Gaya
CAG likely to examine salary payments in govt departments
Architecture university to be set up Muzaffarpur: CM
Kathak, classical music lend cultural touch to Durga Puja
PUTA polls on Nov 4 after three-year gap
